Use and Abuse of Mobile Phones

Let me begin by saying that the advent of mobile phones has been one of the unique features of modern day information technology (IT) technologies. It has been so, for all sections of the people all over the world, particularly those of the business community, traders both big and small. It has given a new dimension to personal communication helping people to be in touch with one another during times of sickness in the family or an emerging crisis. Here in Bangladesh there are yet other specific uses of mobile phones, like monitoring and getting in touch to know the whereabouts of one's near and dear ones during riots and road blocks, vandalism on the streets including the unprecedented traffic jams. Besides, mobile phones also come handy for parents to locate and communicate with their school-going children while they are away. Our streets have become unsafe also due to terror acts like kidnapping of young girls and boys for ransom. Mobile phones, therefore, have become indispensible also for young school, and college-going boys and girls. In Bangladesh like elsewhere mobile phones have also become one of the key elements of communication for law enforcing and the intelligence agencies. All said and done however one cannot overlook some of the typical abuses of the mobile phones that take place here in this country.

I find it to be heavily misused by our younger generation. I have come across young people talking and gossiping on issues of no consequence. They often talk through out the night leaving their studies. To my mind mobile phones are also instrumental in causing irreparable damage to morals of our younger generation who often use it at random for viewing pornography.

Of great annoyance is also this business of people talking over mobile phones while crossing roads or driving cars. The other day while I was on my way to Gulshan from Dhanmandi when all too suddenly appeared a young man driving his car with his mobile phone in one hand and the